Printing-ribbon-winding mechanism for printing presses



May 12, 1925. 1,537,644

6. L. LOW

' PRINTING RIBBON WINDING MECHANISM FDR PRINTZNC- PRESSES Filed July 1, @924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Cfmat-Les L Low ATTORNEY May 12, 1925.

C. L. LOW

PRINTING RIBBON WINDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRE SSES Filed July 1 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Charles L Low BY gwmm Patented May 12, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. LOW, OF FRESNO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO LISENBY MANUFACTURING COIVIPANY, 0F FRESNO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION.

PRINTING-RIBBON-WINDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

Application filed July 1, 1924. Serial No. 723,514.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CIIARLEs L. Low, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fresno, county of Fresno, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing-Ribbon-lVinding Mechanism for Printing Presses; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to printing presses having a reciprocating bed, a type form thereon, a printing cylinder to cooperate with the form, and longitudinally spaced ribbon-spools mounted on the bed. A ribbon passes over a portion of the form and has its ends attached to and wound on the spools, so that upon turning one or the other of the spools, the ribbon will be wound onto one spool and unwound from the other, thus causing the section of ribbon over the form to be continually changing.

The principal object of my invention. is to provide a spool-rotating means operated in conjunction with the reciprocating mechanism of the bed, so constructed that with each reciprocation of said bed, one of the spools will be rotated through a predetermined are, while the other spool will not be affected by the turning mechanism.

At the same time, when desired the turning mechanism may be instantly adjusted to act only on said other spool and not on the one originally turned. In this manner the ribbon may be caused to travel along the form in one direction for a certain time, and its direction of travel then reversed.

The structure is so arranged that no movement of the ribbon will be had during an actual printing operation of the press, so that the ribbon will neither tend to catch on the type nor smear the matter being printed.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal. of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

F 1 is a fragmentary side outline of portions of a press, showing my ribboncontrol mechanism mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section of the press frame showing the ribbon control mechanism and one of the ribbon spools.

Figs. 3 and t are diagrammatic views showing the ribbon control mechanism set to actuate the rear spool, the moving bed being illustrated as being at the forward and rear limits of travel in Figs. 3 and 4 respectively.

Figs. 5 and 6 are similar views with the ribbon control mechanism set to actuate the front spool, the bed in these figures being shown at its rearward and forward limits of travel respectively.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the d'awings, the essential features of the press as far as this invention are concerned comprise a main frame 1, slidably mounted in which for longitudinal reciprocatory movement is the moving bed 2 carrying a type-form 3 intermediate its ends. A printing cylinder 4 supported from the frame 1 above the form 3 cooperates with the latter during a certain period of the travel of the form in a rearward direction.

The bed 2 is continuously reciprocated through a given distance by means of a link (5 connected thereto and to a rocking lever '7, to which in turn movement is imparted by means of a connecting rod 8 attached thereto and to the crank 9 of a driven shaft 10.

Mounted on the bed 2 below the plane of the form are front and rear ribbon spools 11 and 12, having pinions 13 and 14 respectively arranged in connection therewith. The r bbon 15 from said spools passes from under the same and thence up and across the type on the form, as shown in Fig. 2, through suitable transverse and longitudinally spaced slots in the bed and form. This particular arrangement of the ribbon however is old, and forms no part of my invention.

The spools are spaced apart a distance equal to the length of travel of the bed, and mounted in the frame 1 transversely thereof in vertical alinement with the spools when at their limits of travel is a shaft 16.

Fixed on this shaft in transverse aline ment with the pinions 13 and 1 1 is a disc 1'? from which a radial pin or pawl 18 projects, this pawl being yieldably pressed outwardly by a spring 19.

This pawl is arranged, when positioned to face straight up, to engage the teeth of the pinions.

Likewise fixed on the shaft 16 is an arm 20 while turnably mounted thereon adjacent said arms is a. lever 21 having a transverse slot 22 therethrough, a locking bolt or screw 23 mounted in the arm 20. By this means, the arm and lever may be locked together in any relative position within the limits of length of the slot 22.

Mounted on the same shaft 2 1 on which the printing cylinder is mounted, and which is substantially in vertical alinement with the shaft 16, is an arm 25, to whose outer end is attached one end of a bar 26, the opposite end of which is connected to a lever 27 pivoted intermediate its ends on the frame 1. The lower end of the lever carries a roller 28 engaging a cam 29 mounted on the drive shaft 10. This cam is so designed that the roller alternately moves toward and away from the shaft 10, with a dwell of predetermined duration between each such movement. The cam is so positioned on the shaft relative to the crank 9 that when the latter is at the forward end of its stroke, the roller is just starting to move inwardly or toward the shaft, the upper end of the lever 27 being then at its forward limit of movement, the arm 25 being of course in a similar position. When the crank is at its rearmost position, the cam roller is just starting to move outwardly on the cam, and the upper end of lever 27, and the arm 25, are then at their rearmost positions.

ll hen the crank is at its forward and rearward positions as above stated, the bed 2 is at its forward and rearward limits of travel respectively, and the pinions 1 1 and 13 in respective order are in vertical alinement with the shaft 16.

The lever 21 is operatively.connected to the arm 25 so as to turn therewith, the length of the slot 22' insaid lever permitting an arcuate movement of the arm 20 relative to the lever 21 the same as the arcuate movement of the said lever 121d with the movement of the arm 25.

The pawl 18 is so disposed that if the arm 20 is set with the locking bolt at the left hand end of the slot 22, the pawl will point upwardly when the lever 21 is in its foremost position, which is when the bed 2 is at its forward limit of travel. Similarly if the arm 20 is set with the locking bolt at the right hand end of the slot 22,

the pawl will point upwardly only when the lever 21 is at its rearward limit of movement, which is when. the bed is in a similar position.

In the first setting of the arm 20, with a rearward movement of the bed, the pawl will move rearwardly from its perpendicular position, while in the second instance, the pawl will move ahead from a perpendicular position with a forward movement of the bed.

lVith the first described setting of the pawl therefore,only the rearmost pinion 14 will be engaged thereby, as shown in Fig. 3, since by the time the forward pinion approaches the shaft 16, the pawl has turned to the rear and is beyond the pinion and cannot engage the same.

ll ith the second described setting of the pawl, however, the latter is only in a pinion engaging position when the lever 21 and bed 2 are at their rearmost limits of travel, the pinion 13 therefore being the only one engaged by the pawl, since with a forward movement of the bed and lever 21, the pawl is moved ahead and out of the way of the pinion 141 when the latter approaches the shaft 16 with such forward bed movement.

At first glance, it would seem as if in both instances the pawl would impart a retractive movement to the respective pinion, after the advancing movement had been imparted thereto, with the reciprocation of the bed. This is not so however. On account of the cam design and its setting, the periods of dwell on the cam roller, which through the lever 27 controls the movement of the lever 21, are had with the ap proach of one pinion or the other toward the pawl member. When a pinion has been engaged with and advanced by the pawl, the instant the pinion backs away from the pawl with the return movement of the bed, the lever 21 starts to turn and carries the pawl in the same direction as the bed is moving, keeping the pawl. clear of the pin ion teeth until it has turned out of the path of contact with the teeth. This is true of whichever pinion is being actuated, as will be evident from an inspection of the diagrammatic views.

The pawl. being yieldably mounted, should either spool or the ribbon stick so that the pinions cannot be turned, the pawl will yield and prevent breakage of any part.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fultills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described-my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a printing press having a reciprocating moving bed and longitudinally spaced ribbon spools mounted thereon, means for reciprocating the bed, pinions associated with the spools, and a single men1- ber for selectively engaging and advancing either at a time of the pinions with the reciprocation of the bed.

2. In a printing press having a reciprocating moving bed and longitudinally spaced ribbon spools mounted thereon, means for reciprocating the bed, pinions associated with the spools, a single member for engaging both spools, and means for adjusting said member to enable the same to act on only one of the pinions at the option of the operator.

3. In a printing press having a reciproeating moving bed and longitudinally spaced ribbon spools moun ct thereon, means for reciprocating the bed, a ainion associated with each spool, a pawl arranged to engage the pinion and advance the same with the reciprocation of the bed, and means enabling the pawl to yield when the resistance to turning of the spools exceeds a predetermined limit.

t. In a printing press having a recipro eating noving bed and longitudinally spaced ribbon spools nounted thereon, means for reciprocating the bed, an oscillating lever actuated in timed relation with said reciprocating means, pinions associated with the spools, a pawl mounted in connection with the lever, and means whereby with the reciprocation of the bed the pawl may be caused to intermittently engage and advance only one or the other of the pinions.

5. In a printing press having a reciprocating i'uoving bed and longitudinally spaced ribbon spools mounted thereon,

means for reciprocating the bed, an oscillating lever actuated in timed relation with said reciprocating means, pinions associated with the spools, and a pawl adjustably mounted in connection with the lever and adapted to be selectively positioned to engage only one or the other of the pinions with each reciprocation of the bed.

6. In a printing press having a reciprocating moving bed and longitudinally spaced ribbon spools mounted thereon, means for reciprocating the bed, and a common means for selectively causing one or the other of the spools to be turned each time the bed reaches the same end of its travel.

7. In a printing press having a reciprocating moving bed and longitudinally spaced ribbon spools mounted thereon, means for reciprocating the bed, the spools being spaced apart a distance not less than the length of travel of the bed, pinions associated with the spools, a pawl mounted to alternately aline with and engage the pinions when the bed is at its opposite limits of travel, and means whereby said pawl may be positioned to selectively engage only one of said pinions. 1

8. In a printing press having a eating moving bed and longitudinally spaced ribbon spools mounted thereon, means for reciprocating the bed, the spools being spaced apart a distance not less than the length of travel of the bed, pinions associated with the spools, a pawl mounted to alternately aline with and engage the pinions when the bed is at its opposite limits of travel, means whereby said pawl may be positioned to selectively engage only one or the other of said pinions, and means whereby the pawl will always be out of the way of the other pinion when the latter approaches the pawl.

9. In a printing press having a reciprocating moving bed and longitudinally spaced ribbon spools mounted thereon, means for reciprocating the bed, the spools being spaced apart a distance not less than the length of travel of the bed, pinions associated with the spools, a. shaft mounted below the axial line pinions, a radial pawl on the shaft arranged to vertically aline with and engage the pinions when the bed is at its opposite limits of travel, means whereby said pawl may be set to engage only one or the other of the pinions, and an oscillating lever on the shaft whose movement is timed to cause the pawl, after engaging one pinion, to be turned to be clear of the other pinion by the time the latter approaches the pawl with the reciprocation of the bed.

10. In a printing press having a reciproeating moving bed and longitudinally spaced ribbon spools mounted thereon, means for reciprocating the bed, the spools being spaced apart a distance not less than the length of travel of the bed, pinions associated with the spools, a shaft mounted below the axial line pinions, a radial pawl on the shaft arranged when positioned vertically to engage the pinions, an oscillating lever on the shaft having a fixed arcuate throw and being at the ends of its limits of movement when the bed is in corresponding positions, and means for altering the angle of setting of the pawl relative to the lever so as to enable the pawl to be set in a vertical position with either setting of the lever, the pawl being turned from such position with a movement of the lever in either direction from its limits of travel.

11. In a printing press having a reciprocating moving bed and longitudinally reciprospaced ribbon spools mounted thereon, means for reciprocating the bed, the spools being spaced apart a distance not less than the length of travel of the bed, pinions associated with the spools, a shaft mounted below the axial line pinions, a radial pawl i on the shaft arranged when positioned vertically to engage the pinions, an oscillating lever on the shaft having a fixed arcuate throw and being at the ends of its limits of movement when the bed is in corresponding positions, means for altering the angle of setting of the pawl relative to the lever so as to enable the pawl to be set in a vertical position with either setting of the lever, and means operated in connection and in timed relation with the bed reciprocating means for oscillating the lever.

12. In a printing press having a reciprocating moving bed and longitudinally spaced ribbon spools mounted thereon, means for reciprocating the bed, the spools being spaced apart a distance not less than the length of travel of the bed, pinions associated with the spools, a shaft mounted below the axial line pinions, a radial pawl on the shaft arranged when positioned vertically to engage the pinions, an oscillating lever on the shaft having a fixed arcuate throw and being at the ends of its limits of movement when the bed is in correspond- I ing positions, means for altering the angle of setting of the pawl relative to the lever so as to enable the pawl to be set in vertical position with either setting of the lever, and means operated in connection and in timed relation with the bed reciprocating means for oscillating the lever,the oscillating movement of the lever starting with the reversal of movement of the bed from its limits of travel, and causing a rotation of the pawl in the same direction as the bed movement.

13. In a printing press having a reciprocating moving bed and longitudinally spaced ribbon spools mounted thereon, means for reciprocating the bed, pinions associated with the spools, a single member mounted in a, fixed position relative to the pinions for rotating the" latter through a certain arc with the reciprocation of the bed, means operated in connection with the bed for oscillating said member, and means for adjusting said member so that with the oscillation thereof the member may be disposed in such a position as to selectively engage and ad- Vance one or the other of the pinions with each reciprocation of the bed.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

CHARLES L. LOW. 

